A detailed metabolic comparison will be made between normal and dystrophic chicken pectoral muscle. Dystrophy arising genetically and induced by diazacholesterol and isonicotinic acid hydrazide will be studied. Particular attention will be paid to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Experimental material will comprise chick embryo and primary tissue cultures made therefrom. Analysis will be made with a combined radio gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (RGC/MS). This device can separate components from a suitably derivatized extract of a cell, or cell subfraction, can identify each and can measure mass and isotope content of each. Thus, if a cell colony is exposed to a radiolabelled precursor such as glucose, and samples are taken from the colony as a function of time and analyzed by RGC/MS, time courses of the movement of isotope from glucose through the intermediary metabolic network of the cells will be obtained. Isotope transfer patterns for various precursors will be examined to determine where any abnormalities in the dystophic cells occur. In addition to the above Core Project, the Facility will engage in collaborative work with biomedical personnel in the immediate geographical vicinity; routine mass spectrometric analyses will also be performed. In one of the Collaborative Project techniques developed in the Core will be projected into the human sphere: tissue cultures of human normal and dystrophic muscle will be screened for metabolic differences by RGC/MS.